Literature

“Dante! Over here!” Ethan whispered urgently to me as I emerged from under the cars. Why is he so damn loud? I thought with panic. I can see him straight ahead of me crouched down behind a rusted old police car. But beyond the car I can see infected everywhere, and while they aren’t packed wall to wall I can’t fathom how we were going to pass them all unnoticed. “There’s no way we are sneaking past all of those infected, Ethan!” I whispered as I crawled up next to him.

“Relax” He said with a smile. “We’re going to be fine. Did you see all the places to hide while you looked or were you so caught up by all The Risen that you didn’t notice?” He laughed quietly at me. Damn it he’s right I didn’t notice anything but the zom- or “Risen” as he calls them. I begrudgingly thought. “Shut up. Let me look again.” I snapped back placing the crowbar on the ground as I turned to look. Alright let’s see what exactly there is to hide behind. Asides from the scattered cars there were sandbag barricades. “Must be remnants from when we were herding the infected here.” I muttered quietly to myself. “What was that?” Ethan asked me confused. “Nothing, I’m still looking.” I said as I continued to peer out.

There was a number of dead bodies on the bridge as well. This bridge wasn’t cordoned off with infected without its fair share of casualties. AnywaysI need to keep looking. I thought refocusing myself. There really isn’t as much cover as he would make it seem. The nearest car to hide behind was at least 50 yards away. And I can’t even see the other half of the bridge what with there being a giant bus broken down in the middle of the bridge obstructing my view. There’s no way we are making it across. I finally concluded. “Alright Dante, you got your look? Good. You saw that truck about 50 yards away right? Excellent, lets go” He grabbed my arm quickly peeking around the car before yanking me forward. “Shit, the crowbar!” I thought grabbing it at the last second.

The risen were everywhere on our left just roaming around aimlessly with their heads down. “They’re gonna see us, Ethan!” I said as loudly as I dared. “Breathe kid, and just keep going moving forward.” He said as he let go of my arm. Just a few more feet to cover. I reassured myself. “See look, no problem.” He smiled at me as he crouched down behind the truck. “How can you be so calm about this? Don’t they freak you out?” I asked as my composure started to crack. The noises they make are so unnatural. When they are just roaming around like that with nothing to chase they make these unnatural wheezy moan sounds. It sounds just like when the old ma-. “Dante.” He said as he shook my shoulder interrupting my thoughts. “C’mon kid focus. We still have a lot of bridge to cover.” He said calmly. He’s observant I’ll give him that. I thought before asking. “How far to our next cover?”

“There’s a big pile of bodies 140 yards away, but it’s not as clear a path this time.” He paused as he looked at me intensely. “I’m fine, just tell me what’s ahead of us. I don’t want to spend all day on this bridge!” I snapped a bit too harshly. But he put on a little smile before continuing “The Risen on the left side of the bridge are all mulling around with their heads down, but we have some on the right that I fear are going to notice us running by. Are you going to be able to handle yourself if you are noticed?” He was as serious as I’d ever seen as he waited for my response. “I haven’t survived this long without being able to take care of myself.” I reassured him. “Good. Then if you’re ready, let’s go!” And with a quick glance around the corner of the car again he was off. “You can do this Dante. Just empty your mind.” I whispered as I gripped the crowbar tightly in both hands.

Damn he’s fast! I thought enviously. He’s already a fourth of the way to the pile of bodies! A quick glance to his right showed an infected noticed him. “Ethan Look o-” I started shouting but he dispatched the infected with a quick jab of his knife without breaking his stride. “Alright my turn.” I muttered starting to run after him. Thankfully I’ve always been a quick runner. I’ll be alright as long as I keep moving forward. One foot in front of the other. Just keep going and you’ll be fine. Good, he’s almost there! I thought as I looked up and saw him a few yards from the pile of corpses. A quick glance to my left showed me no infected close by. Looks like a clear path ahead of me – oh shit. I stopped dead in my tracks. An infected had walked right into my path about 20 yards away, and it is looking right at me. I was still at least 60 yards away from cover. There is no way to go around that guy without attracting more of their attention. I thought, trying to analyze the situation as quickly as possible.

The thing was growling now – loudly. That throaty animal like growl that they make when they see their prey. Its clothes are tattered and ripped, and it’s skin had that sickly pale grey tone that all the infected eventually got. And patches of its skin had fallen off which was normal given that they all were essentially rotting. It was huge, I can’t reach its head with even with this crowbar. Fuck focus Dante! That thing is coming right at you! I was starting to panic as the infected was quickly closing the gap between us. “Damn it! I don’t want to do this!” I shouted running at it. Just when it was about to be too late I pulled back with the crowbar and smashed the thing in the legs as hard as I could, and down it went. I could see Ethan beckoning me frantically up ahead, and so I took off towards him without looking back.

“Good job, kid! But we don’t have time to waste now. That Risen just alerted a number of others back there and they all saw you running over here so we have to move! It’s about 60 yards that bus! Let’s go!” He shouted pulling me after him. How did I let myself get so scared! I thought angrily. “Oh shit.” Ethan said coming to halt. “What? Why are we stopping?” I asked far more loudly than I intended. He didn’t say anything he just pointed at the bus which we were about 10 yards from now. I looked at where he was pointing. “Oh that’s so not good.” I whispered real quietly as a large group of infected started pouring around the right side of the vehicle.

“Time to get up kid!” I could hear Ethan telling me. I can’t believe he woke up before me. I thought, frustrated. “I have a name you know.” I said irritably as I opened my eyes. “What time is it?” I asked as I stood and stretched. “The sun just came up about a half hour ago. It’s still early but I thought we would want to get moving before it got much later.” He looked at me smile still on his face but his eyes were filled with the unspoken question. “What do you mean ‘we’?” I replied, fully awake now. I don’t think I can take him even if he is still bruised from yesterday. “There is no we here. We agreed to split the supplies today and go our separate ways.” I looked at him fully prepared to bolt. He was smiling and looking at me, then he glanced at the floor and looked back up at me, still smiling.

“Look Dante you’re a tough kid clearly. You have to be to survive out here, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay on your own forever. I think it would be best if we travel together, it’d be good for both of us.” He was looking at me seriously now, his smile was still there but it was much smaller than normal. “No, that was not the deal. I don’t know you and I don’t trust you. Why would I trust you?” I was starting to get angry now, and I looked at him furiously. “Listen I know that wasn’t the deal, and I know you don’t know me but I’m starting to hate being left alone with my own thoughts. Even if I am great company.” He started smiling again before continuing. “It’s dangerous out here by yourself, and I could use a partner who is capable of handling themselves.” He looked at me seriously again with the unspoken question left unsaid. “So what, you’re just going to hold the supplies forever then?” I replied sarcastically.

The noise was reminiscent of a fire alarm going off. “Time to leave!” I thought, but before I took a step, the man I followed was thrown through the doorway to the living room area. I barely spared him a glance before starting to sprint towards the kitchen. “Look out kid!” the man on the ground screamed out at me. “What are you tal-” I couldn’t finish my thought as I was sent flying across the room next to the bed closest to the kitchen. “I see you brought an accomplice you little shit!” The man wasn’t roaring anymore, but I hardly heard him in the first place. “That really hurt.” Was all I could manage to think. I was struggling back to my feet when the room started shaking. Looking up I saw the huge man coming towards me.

“He is by far the biggest man I have ever seen” I thought as the stars finally cleared from my eyes, giving me a good look at him. He was easily 6’8”, maybe taller, and at least 350 pounds. A beard that made him look like a mountaineer covered his face, and I couldn’t see the top of his bald head. He wore a ripped denim jacket, his arms and legs looked like they could pass as tree trunks. “His ancestors were probably freaking giants”

Hiding from our own mortality
Guides us as we live our lives
We live in the shadow of deaths reality
Going about with our need to thrive
But our own ignorance holds us back
We are not gods, we do not live forever
Ignoring this fact, leads all off track
Our lives are a time limited endeavor
I cannot give you cold hard proof
That what I’ve said is not all a lie
But I feel you must accept the cold hard truth
That we all die

“What a terrible night.” I mumbled rubbing my eyes. “I really need to get my situation under control today.” I thought. I couldn’t keep going with a consistent lack of supplies and a no place to stay.

The sunlight was creeping in from the cracks in the window that the mattress wasn’t covering. “I should try and get a better grasp of my surroundings now that the sun is out in full force.” I muttered making my way over to the window. My feet crunched on the broken glass from the mirror as I heaved the mattress over a couple inches to get a better view out of the window. I covered my eyes with my arms for a minute as they adjusted to light until I could finally get a clear look at what I was working with.

There was a fissure running down parts of the street as the road split down the middle, and the street was littered with rusted cars, long abandoned by their owners. Telephone poles, street lights, and trees were either lining the street or resting inside of buildings. There’d been no vehicles traveling down these roads for a length of time, so vegetation was starting to grow on the road and up the sides of the buildings. Debris from the broken structures dotted the street from the skyscrapers from which they fell. Hardly any buildings had any windows left as the looters smashed and grabbed everything they could find of any use after the event.

“Oh shit!” I screamed as I started sprinting towards the pile of bodies. I could hear whatever that thing was getting closer to me with its unnatural grunting getting louder and louder. I made it to the foot of the pile and launched myself on it desperately pulling myself towards the top. “These bodies are stacked so damn tight, I can barely find a foothold.” I thought just as the creature hit the bottom of the pile.

I looked down as the pile shook and I finally got a good look at the creature. It was what looked like a dog, but a dog that’s diet consisted of nothing but steroids. It was monstrous, with patches of its fur missing. As it looked up at me with its huge fangs bared it looked like it was missing an eye as well. “Shit shit shit, WHAT ARE YOU?” I screamed at it. In response it took a leap upwards and tried to latch onto my leg. I pulled my leg just out of the way and got a better look at it as it missed and started to fall back down. It had a huge hunchback lined with muscles and patches of fur. The hind legs were long and powerful, and the face was something out of a nightmare with its one eye glowing a haunting yellow.

It hit the ground with another roar and bent down to launch itself up again. “I need to get out of here now!” I screamed in my head while snapping myself out of my trance so that I could move again. I could feel the rush of air as the beast missed my legs as I climbed. Looking up I still had maybe another 3 feet until I reached the top. “I can make it, I can do thi….” My thoughts were interrupted as the pile started shaking violently. “Oh what is it now!” I complained looking down. The creature was throwing itself at the pile trying to knock me down. “You’re smart too? That’s entirely unfair!” I screamed renewing my climb with a gusto born from desperation.

This is going to be an ongoing story that I’m writing periodically.
It is set in a post-apocalyptic world, and it will start off in a city that is a city of my own
imagination where the main character is a 12 year old boy.

“The subway is a great place to lose people”, I thought happily to myself. “But its not a great place to spend the night.” I said to myself as I started walking a bit more quickly. I needed to get back above ground and into somewhere hidden before the sun goes down. It’s hard to move quickly when I don’t know the area. “I sure picked a shitty time of day to start exploring other parts of the city.” I muttered bitterly to myself. But its not like I had much choice that gang was moving into my hideout, and I doubt they would have looked too kindly on what they would have only saw as an unwelcome rat. “Bunch of assholes.” I declared in my head. Alright there’s a map of the subway up ahead. As I moved forward I couldn’t help but notice how run down this place was.

It’s only been three years and parts of the ceiling are collapsing. There’s what looks like weeds growing up in the cracked tiling on the floor, vines are growing up the broken columns that used to hold the weight of this place. “This place is a fucking disaster.” I thought as I reached the map. Honestly though, the subway really was the perfect place to get away from people who were after you. Even if I didn’t know this particular section of the subway, I knew how to get around in it.

The sunlight falls on me warming my face
As the comely woman makes her way to me
She kneels down beside me with a certain grace
Asking me if I want to take my pills with some tea

For the life of me I can’t remember who she is
So I ask of her, “dear who are you?”
Her eyes shut as if she’s pondering a quiz
“Well Mrs Cole I am Nurse Bell and I’m rather new.”

What a peculiar woman, I have no need of a nurse
I try to tell her this, but she smiles and remains
Her face is kind, but her voice is rather terse
She informs me that I have to take my pills to avoid pain

I take the meds from her and her relief is clear
But as she walks away I can’t recall
And so I call out asking, “Who are you my dear?”
However she did not hear me, and I find myself feeling quite small

~~~~~~~~~~

Sitting by the fire the heat warms my soul
As two graceful women make their way beside me
“You have a visitor today Mrs Cole.”
And with that the handsome woman flees

So I look to the woman at my right
And I ask her, “could you kindly tell me who that was?”
She informs me that her name was Nurse Bell, I think she surely is a sight
The woman looks at me as if she wants to speak, but something gives her pause

Finally she speaks, “Mom I came to visit.”
I look at her closely and feel something stir
She stares at me with a cautious hope in her eyes for a minute
But like a wisp whatever it was is gone with a blur

“Why do you call me mother dear?”
I can see she’s crushed as she says “c’mon Mom think it through!”
Her face is twisted in pain as her eyes fill with tears
But all I can do is look at her and ask, “Who are you?”

Walking into the bar I know I wont last long
There is no bar in town that will serve me more than one drink
Because if they do ill start swinging like king kong
I just cant stand drinking at home, I don’t want him to see me sink

So I take a seat and order my shot
The bartender laughs in disgust as he passes it to me
I pound it down and he sends me to rot
Now to pick up my son from my mothers and flee

On the way from the door he bumps into her car
And suddenly I’ve dropped to the ground
As her car alarm has taken me back to a land torn apart
Where death is the norm and bullets fly around